PERSIAN JOURNAL OF ACAROLOGY
Year:2016 | Volume:5 | Issue:3 |Papers Count:8

Every acarology laboratory in the world working on the taxonomy or the biological control of the pests by the phytoseiid mites has a copy of at least one of the four books by Vikram Prasad. The last one is a revision of the genus Paraphytoseius. Some species of the genus are the most important biological control agents in the agriculture. The first step of each biological control program is to have the correct identification of the biocontrol agent. This book includes morphology, systematics, biological and ecological information on the valid species of the genus. Morphology is discussed in detail including all parts of the body especially for the solenostomes, lyrifissures and sigilla on the idiosoma for some species. In systematic part, synonyms including new ones, world distribution, type data, redescription, remarks or note for each species are given. It is a comprehensive book on the genus Paraphytoseius.

In this present paper six new mite species of the family Phytoseiidae (Acari: Mesostigmata) are described from Arunachal Pradesh, India: Euseius arunachalensis sp. nov., E. bandispermathecae sp. nov., E. bomdilae sp. nov., Typhlodromus (Anthoseius) dahungensis sp. nov., Phytoseius dorsospinosus sp. nov. and P. leopardisimilis sp. nov.

In the course of a faunistic survey of oribatid mites (Acari: Oribatida) from the biosphere reserve Dasht-e Arjan and Parishan, and Chehel Cheshmeh region (Fars Province) during 2014-2015, a total of 91 species belonging to 68 genera and 43 families were collected and identified. Among them, one genus and seven species were recorded for the first time for the mite fauna of Iran.

Herein, two genera, Urodiaspis Berlese and Urojanetia Berlese, and four species, Trachyuropoda hirschmanni Pecina, 1980, Urodiaspis tecta (Kramer, 1876), Urodiaspis pannonica Willmann, 1951 and Urojanetia excavata (Wasmann, 1899), are reported for the first time from Iran. Additionally, Urodiaspis pannonicasimilis Bal and Ozkan, 2009 is considered as junior synonym ofU. pannonica, and new morphological data for this species represented.

The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency, diversity and seasonal distribution of ticks collected from camels (Camelus dromedarius) in Sistan and Balouchestan region, southeast of Iran. Totally, 139 camels (74 females and 65 males) were randomly selected from May, 2014 to April, 2015, out of which 75 camels (53.9%) were found to be infested by ticks. Out of the examined ticks, eight species of two genera (Hyalomma and Rhipicephalus) were identified, namely Hyalomma dromedarii (39.5%), Rhipicephalus sanguineus (16.1%), H. anatolicum (14.1%), H.excavatum (11.7%), H. schulzei (6.4%), H. scupense (5.5%), R. turanicus (4.7%), and H. asiaticum (2%). The prevalence of ixodid tick infestation was higher in the female camels (60.8%) than the males (46.1%) (P>0.084). The number of the hard ticks found on 1–2 year old female camels (76.9%; 30/39) was higher than on the other age groups (P<0.006). Moreover, the seasonal activities of ticks were higher in spring than in the other seasons (80%; 40.50) (P<0.000). The results of the current study revealed that ixodid ticks infestation was widespread among camels in Sistan and Balouchestan region, with great species diversity. Therefore, special attention should be given for a programmed tick control campaign in the region.

The litchi white rust mite, Notacaphylla chinensiae Mohanasundaram and Singh, 1988 is a pest of litchi in West Bengal, India. Study on population dynamics, sensitiveness of litchi cultivars towards the mite was conducted between 2009 and 2011. The mite remains active on litchi plants throughout the year in West Bengal, reaching the highest population densities (1300 to 1500 mites/cm2 leaf) in winter (January/ February). Population densities of N. chinensiae was negatively correlated with monthly mean of the maximum temperature (-0.492), minimum temperature (-0.785), rainfall (-0.665) and minimum humidity (-0.829). Among 11 litchi cultivars, the highest mean population throughout the year was recorded on Nafarpal (440–584 mites/cm2 leaf) followed by Elaichi (431-597 mites/cm2 leaf), Bombai (437-600 mites/cm2 leaf) and Seedless late (444-594 mites/cm2 leaf), whereas the lowest was assessed on Purbi (146-167 mites/cm2 leaf) followed by Muzaffarpur (148-184 mites/cm2 leaf).

The predatory mite, Neoseiulus barkeri Hughes is one of the most important phytoseiid mites to control phytophagous mites. The effect of different diets such as, corn pollen, walnut pollen, sunflower pollen, date pollen, bee pollen along with the twospotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae Koch) eggs on life table parameters of the predatory mite was determined on strawberry detached leaves in Petri dishes. The experiments were carried out under laboratory conditions at 27 ± 1°C, 16L: 8D h photoperiod and 70 ± 5% RH. The individuals of the predatory mite were collected from cucumber field infested with the two- spotted spider mite of Khoramabad, Lorestan Province. The results indicated that mean preimaginal developmental time was the highest on sunflower pollen and bee pollen than the preimaginal developmental time on the other tested pollens. The developmental time of adult of N. barkeri when fed with bee pollen (10.0 and 9.25 days for female and male, respectively) is longer than when it fed on the other diets. The fecundity rate of predatory mite on different diets did not show any significant difference. The intrinsic rate of increase (r) of the predatory mites fed with sunflower pollen (0.212 d-1), date pollen (0.225 d-1) and corn pollen (0.224 d-1) were higher than the other treatments. With attention to observed results, corn pollen, sunflower pollen and date pollen were suitable alternative food for the mass rearing of this predator.

Semi- engorged females of the brown dog tick, Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Latreille, 1806) were dipped in different concentrations of three acaricides (malathion, dicofol and a- cypermethrin) for three minutes. Probit analysis has been done using a proper software and the results were presented in terms of lethal concentrations of acaricides affording 50% mortality (LC50). As per probit analysis, dicofol was the most effective acaricide with LC50 88.6 ppm (79.419-97.429 ppm fiducial limits) followed by malathion (LC50= 1299.8 ppm; 1223.7-1375.5 ppm fiducial limits). This work can be utilized as a convention with different chemicals, to determinate the LC50, basic steps for investigations of control, resistance and conduct of ticks treated with acaricides, especially the brown dog tick, Rhipicephalus sanguineus. Additionally, the knowledge of the LC50 gives an idea on the strength of chemicals, the affectability of arthropods to them and even gauges on nuisance control.